Poppy Seed Bread Rolls

I really don't know if bread gets any better than this. As you know by now I am a carbaholic. I sometimes wish bread was never invented. But then I would never have got to eaten poppy seed bread....I AAAADORE this bread. I could eat buckets of it. It truly is my all time favourite bread. Trust me when I say homemade is waaay nicer, it honestly has no comparison to store bought. This, friends, is the real deal!

I actually really love baking bread. The only set back is it never lasts in my house.....ever. It's gone within a few hours and if you weren't an early bird. Tough! You have missed out! Seriously,I can't tell you how many times my sister (Hi Jacq!) has called over after seeing a post only to hear "Ahhh sorry they're gone". We are bread people.

This is a basic white bread recipe and I chose to make large bap sized rolls. I got about 4 out of this recipe but they were quite large/huge! Realistically I should have halved them to get 8 good sized rolls. It also makes a pretty good sized 2lb loaf. I was super generous with the poppy seeds because, you know, I love them! But these could be topped with pretty much any and every seed (Let the experimenting begin). I always use a mixer when baking bread as I haven't mastered the art of kneading just yet. I can never get it smooth enough which leads to really dense bread from over kneading. Sigh!

Recipe for Poppy Seed Bread Rolls

Makes 8 good sized rolls

Ingredients

• 7g sachet fast action dried yeast
• 300ml lukewarm water
• 1tsp sugar
• 450g strong white flour
• 1tsp salt

Instructions

1. Pour your water into a jug, add your fast action dried yeast and sugar. Leave stand for 1 min. This is not really necessary with fast action yeast but I always do it. You will see the mixture starting to bubble and froth ever so slightly......don't freak out. This means its working.
2. In a large bowl add your flour and salt.
3. Pour your yeast mixture into your flour and salt.
4. Gradually mix the mixture together (using a dough hook if using a machine) to a soft dough. Add a drop of olive oil little by little if you feel it is not coming together.
5. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. This takes about 5 mins on a low speed. If you're not sure, stop the machine and have a look. It should look smooth and have no cracks and lumps. Remove from bowl and place into a clean,well oiled bowl. Set it in a warm place for 1 1/2hrs until it has doubled in size.
6. When risen, knock back the dough (basically punch the dough two or three times).Remove from bowl. You should see strands of the dough trying to cling to side of the bowl, this is a good sign. It means the yeast has done its job with the flour and helped form these gluten strands. This is what makes bread light and airy. Divide your rolls into eight and place on tray. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 mins or again doubled in size.
7. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (fan-assisted oven). Brush with water and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. If unsure tap the rolls underneath, they should sound hollow.

You can then indulge in a bite of carby heaven. FYI these are sensational toasted and smeared with butter!

Enjoy!

Shirley x